Life circumstances, hopelessness and extreme depression can lead people to look for ways to check out of this life. God forbids murder – suicide is self-murder. Jesus offers hope, help and forgiveness and can empower you/them to keep living. In Acts 16 the Philippian jailer thought the prisoners he was responsible for had escaped and out of fear was about to fall on his sword until someone convinced him to stop because it was going to be OK. Many people, even pastors, are cutting their lives sho...
Jan 05, 2020•37 min
For some the New Year is nothing more than a calendar change and life goes on just like it did last year. Others make “impossible” New Year’s resolutions that fizzle out within a few months. The Bible has some very encouraging advice to help us live a new life in Christ and experience blessings in the New Year. Listen and be encouraged to leave your past failures behind and strategically renew your commitment to seven areas of victory and blessing for 2020 - Pastor Chris Teien #RiverRockChurchMN...
Dec 29, 2019•36 min
Listen and learn about the blessings that God has for us as he continues to be our Immanuel. When the apostle Matthew wrote about Jesus’ birth He quotes Isaiah, “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.” Jesus the Creator of the Universe, chose to be born as a baby, to the poorest of the poor. The King of Kings came so that he could live with us, with the plan that He would provide a way for us to come liv...
Dec 15, 2019•33 min
No one really knows the exact day Jesus was born but our churches and culture have chosen December 25th as the day to celebrate His birth. It was the day that God became a man, then lived among us, paid off our sin debt, gave us a job to do, went back up to Heaven and promised to return at the perfect time. Jesus is God and He is worthy of our worship and our gifts. It seems odd that people have become more focused on family, food, football and financing gifts for each other (or themselves) then...
Dec 08, 2019•25 min
Listen and be encouraged to experience, ponder, celebrate and share Jesus the treasure we in Jesus this Christmas season and all year round. From Luke 2:15-20 - Pastor Chris Teien
Dec 01, 2019•27 min
People who are truly Thankful will take time to show their gratitude. We who are experiencing the unending love and undeserved grace of Jesus should take time to express that as we come together on Sunday morning to worship the Lord at church. A.W. Tozer wrote about why we should be thankful, “…Most precious of all, is the friendship and communion of Jesus. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother and He has assured us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Let this knowledge keep...
Nov 24, 2019•34 min
It wasn’t that long ago that following Jesus was welcome in our culture but that is now changing at an alarming rate. Jesus half-brother Jude wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to instruct us how to live in these difficult last days. In Jude 1:23 he writes: “Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment…” which means God may call on us to help rescue others and live our lives as Jesus intended. It’s difficult and risky but it is also eternally significant and rewarding....
Nov 17, 2019•34 min
In such a complex world, what does it look like to have a pure heart? Can we raise a future generation with a pure heart? How do we respond to hurt/corruption in the world with a pure heart? Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8 NIV). In our distracted, divisive, anxious-ridden society, fixing our gaze on God may just produce the integrity and uncompromised desires that we all desperately need. Guest Dr Ken Castor.
Nov 11, 2019•46 min
Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.” Some say it is a call to a child-like faith, but this is not an immature or childish faith, it is a relational faith. Listen as we explore the deeper meaning of Jesus’ statement as He calls us to love, trust and live in forever awe of the God who loves us without measure. Pastor Dan Jetto
Nov 03, 2019•23 min
While people like to argue the exact timing and details of Jesus return, the Bible is abundantly clear that Jesus is going to return and make all that is wrong in the world right. Whatever you are struggling with, know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if you are a Christ-follower then the best is yet to come. Listen as we look at Revelation chapter 20 and other passages to see what is clearly revealed in Scripture about Jesus agenda for the future of people and the earth we inhabit.- Pastor Chris...
Oct 27, 2019•35 min
It’s amazing and inspiring to know that not only are we able to experience blessings now through Christ, but that the Bible repeatedly says we can earn eternal rewards for the way we live out our lives. It seems abundantly clear that some will have more in eternity than others based on the way they currently choose to serve Jesus and invest their treasure in Heaven. In Revelation 22:12 (NIV) Jesus says, “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to wh...
Oct 20, 2019•37 min
Maybe you struggle with sadness and depression. Sometimes it is easy to identify the reason you are depressed sometimes we are depressed for no known reason. If we want to show Jesus love and encourage people it is important for us to get help if we are suffering and be ready to help those around who are depressed. Relief doesn’t always come immediately and sometimes God uses medication and Christian counseling to bring healing. Listen be encouraged to find help for your needs and become a resou...
Oct 13, 2019•36 min
God has given us the real life stories of people in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible to teach us how to live with faith as we ride the roller-coaster of life. Just about everyone’s life is full of victories and disappointments, divine encouragement and evil discouragement, hope to keep us going or despair to cause us to quit. Sometimes we are disappointed by the result of our own choices and other times through no fault of our own. Jesus purchased and promises our salvation and He can giv...
Oct 06, 2019•33 min
The blind beggar in Luke 18 is a great example of how we should request and respond to Jesus healing us. Miracles still happen today and the Bible shows us how we can ask for physical, emotional and spiritual healing. While we all will die sometime and the Lord doesn’t always choose to heal everyone we should pray and pursue divine healing because Scripture says it’s available through Jesus. Listen be encouraged to grow in faith and knowledge of how Jesus our Healer is at work today. Pastor Chri...
Sep 29, 2019•29 min
Grow deeper in faith and get better equipped to serve by looking at what the Bible says about the Fourfold Gospel of Christ. This five-part series will encourage you to embrace and proclaim Jesus as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and Coming King. [Part 1 of 5]. Pastor Chris Teien.
Sep 15, 2019•34 min
In an emergency, when time is of the essence, compassionate people jump in to save those that they can, but at the same time call for help so that as many as possible can be rescued. In Matthew 9 Jesus sees the multitudes harassed and helpless, in need of compassion and grace. He recognizes the time is short as are the resources. He tells his followers to “Ask the Lord of the Harvest therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” This was Jesus version of asking His disciples to call 91...
Sep 08, 2019•29 min
For most of us work consumes the greatest portion of our lives. God gave us work as a gift and even warns us that if a person doesn’t work they shouldn’t eat. God can help you at work and reward you for your efforts. Your work truly does matter to God. Listen and be encouraged to grow in your faith and effectiveness at work. Pastor Chris Teien.
Sep 01, 2019•39 min
Think about all the incredible prayer promises and detailed method given to us in the Bible. Different types of prayer to encompass all of life. Some people pray for others but they won’t pray for their own needs and desires – some people can’t seem to move beyond asking God for their own wants when they pray. James chapter 5 has a lot to say about praying. Listen and be encouraged to see the opportunity before you to help change the world and please the Lord through your prayer life. Pastor Chr...
Aug 25, 2019•32 min
The greatest day ever will be when Jesus returns - unless you haven't put your faith in Him. Jesus said He was coming back but He didn't specify when. The more we grow in our faith the more we long to see Jesus face to face. Life can get difficult when we are trying to live out His will for our lives and it can lead to hardships and conflicts. In James chapter 5 we are given some encouraging Scriptures to help us when it is difficult to patiently await Jesus return. Listen and be encouraged to u...
Aug 18, 2019•29 min
Just about everyone dreams about how much better their life would be if they only had more money and some people spend their entire lives pursuing more wealth. The Bible has a lot to say about money and the wise ways to use it for a more fulfilling life. James warns those who think they will find joy and security in their riches. Listen and be encouraged to trust Jesus and grow in faith because your money is not enough. Pastor Chris Teien.
Aug 11, 2019•29 min
While it’s easy to be happy and trust God while everything is working out according to our plans, mature Christ-followers count on life’s unpredictable timing and keep walking with Jesus even when it seems like life is falling apart. James helps us put our lives in perspective when he says, “Now listen, you who say, “’Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? Yo...
Aug 04, 2019•26 min
The Bible gives warnings and offers strategies to help us keep our inner anger from raging before we blow up relationships and destroy our reputation. Listen and be encouraged to find peace for those inner conflicts and avoid giving into to those angry outbursts. Pastor Chris Teien.
Jul 28, 2019•33 min
True Wisdom is more than knowledge gained by life experience – it is also insight and strategies straight from God who created us and knows the best way for us live. In James 3:13-18 we get a glimpse of how wise people think and act, “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom…” Listen and be encouraged to pursue the pure wisdom of the Lord and live it out for God’s glory, your benefit and the good of...
Jul 14, 2019•26 min
The Bible warns us that our words matter. James writes, “And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” (James 3:6 NLT). While words can be destructive, they can also be encouraging, edifying, educational, healing and helpful. Listen and be encouraged to control your tongue before it destroys your life. Pastor Chris Teien.
Jul 07, 2019•33 min
We know that we can’t do enough good deeds to get ourselves into Heaven, instead we repent and give our lives to Jesus to be saved and experience eternal life with Him. Some people think that faith is all that is required in the Christian life, but James makes it very clear that if you truly have faith it will be evident by the good deeds you do. Some complain that New Testament writers Paul and James contradict each other when it comes to faith and works when they actually complement one-anothe...
Jun 30, 2019•24 min
If we are not careful it is easy to discount the value of people that are not like us or to give preference to rich and influential people over the poor and unknown. It must have been a problem in the early church too since James took time to warn them against doing that in the church and it is a relevant message for us today. When we learn to see people the way God sees them, we will enjoy greater relationships and be better able show Christ-like love. Some awesome people have made life commitm...
Jun 23, 2019•26 min
Christian fathers have an important role to play in their child’s life including being a provider, protector, promoter and prayer warrior. While Christian fathers are often taken for granted and sometimes don’t adequately fulfill their parenting duties we must encourage them and remember Christian parenting is a spiritual battle. The only perfect father is God our Heavenly Father and He loves you and wants the best for you. Pastor Chris Teien.
Jun 16, 2019•32 min
Are you feeling burdened, overwhelmed by life, frustrated by what our world has to offer? Jesus invites us to come to Him and find rest in Matthew 11:28. Listen to find how you can experience this rest and other blessings available if we will answer Jesus’ call to come to Him. Pastor Dan Jetto
Jun 09, 2019•33 min
The most important and incredible event everyone needs is to have Jesus save them and fill their lives with hope and meaning. Maybe it’s easy to look back and see how empty your life would be without Jesus and you need to share that hope. Maybe today you feel empty even though you have a relationship with Jesus and need help. Maybe your life is filled with yourself and you give no room for Jesus. Listen and be encouraged that when Jesus saves you He will lead you and give you an opportunity to e...
Jun 02, 2019•33 min
God often uses flawed people to accomplish His plans. Often heroes are remembered for one act or season of sacrifice that helped or saved others while others are heroes for investing their lives to bring peace and provisions. Jesus is the perfect hero who can work through you despite your shortcomings. You may not think you have much to offer or you may think you have made too many mistakes to be hero but listen and be encouraged to put faith into action and become someones hero even if you are ...
May 26, 2019•31 min
